If You Love Them
by bubbles799
Summary: If he truly loved her, he had to let her go.


**Title:** If You Love Them  
**Author:** bubbles799  
**Show:** _Packed to the Rafters_  
**Characters:** Jake/Rachel  
**Summary:** If he truly loved her, he had to let her go.  
**Disclaimer:** I might be holidaying on a deserted island and be in total bliss. But I haven't gotten the bliss of owning Rafter's. So I'll just have to settle for borrowing it.

_**/**_

_**First of all, I'm so annoyed that Seven is pulling Rafter's halfway through Jess Marais' exit.**_

_**Secondly, the promos after last night's episode were incredibly sad. What will we do without our Rachel Rafter? So I wrote this. **_

_**/**_

New York.

Two singular words that make up a place. A place that Rachel might soon be jetting off to.

He knew that she'd been tormented by the proposal for days. He wishes she had of told him sooner. But then, he was hardly going to be hypocritical after the way he handed the footy weekend situation.

There was many things to consider. Leaving her tight-knit family behind. Before he had even been on the scene, Jake knew that they had each supported each other. In Rachel's case, as she began her stellar advertising career and through the problems and fallout with Daniel. They had been there to catch each other if ever they fell. And that was something to be proud of; that's what families should be like.

Secondly, leaving her home of Sydney. Leaving Australia. What a move to make! Sure, New York would probably be fabulous and wonderful, but Jake knew that there would be a longing and homesick sense for Rachel to feel if she left.

And then there was him. They'd hit the rocks after he was charged. They'd reverted back to being like a new couple, unsure of how to act around each other. It was a far cry from the fitting and comfortable long term relationship they had been in. But they were making their way back, just as they had done many times before.

There was no simple solution to the equation. There would be the pain for both Jake and Rachel, as a couple if she left for New York. And for her family. And with the way they had been heading currently, Jake wasn't even sure if they'd be able to make a long distance relationship work, no matter how much they wanted it to be.

But if Rachel didn't take the job opportunity that would ultimately boost her career, it'd be something she'd possibly regret for the rest of her life. And she would always be wondering 'what if?'.

And that's when Jake knew what he had to do. He knew what Rachel was like. She wasn't going to make the decision without some serious pushing. And the longer she put it off, the more doubts she'd have in her head after listening to everyone sticking their nose in and giving their opinions. And so he made his decision.

/

He'd finished work and headed into the Rafter's house on a mission to find Rachel. He knew she was home; her cherry-red Beetle had been parked by the curb. And there she was, sitting on her bed lost in her own thoughts.

He'd asked her to come for a walk with him. Rachel had several ideas about what he wanted to talk about, though not sure on which one he was referring to. Neither of them spoke too much. They simply walked arm and arm and ended up near the water where they had once upon a time eaten fish and chips after his ladies day football game.

As they stopped, Jake sucked in his breath and began talking.

Rachel began protesting that she hadn't made a decision. And that more than a career were important. But Jake cut her off definitely, stating what he had to say. That he had promised he would never, ever hold her back. And that her not taking this job, was holding her back.

And again, Rachel tried adding that it would be her decision not to go, not because of him and that he should never think that way. Jake waited until she'd finished. He knew that wasn't what would happen. She'd regret not going and he was the key factor that would keep her in Sydney. And so he said what he had to, because he loved her. He made his decision, purely because he loved her.

"Say goodbye."

"You'd let me fly away?" she asked.

"If you love them, let them go." He smiled sadly.

"I have to let you go."

_**/**_

_**And so I leave it there, my lovelies. I hope you enjoyed it. **_

_**I'm not going to be angry for Jess' departure. I know it's not a decision she's made or taking lightly, and that it was a hard decision for her to make. So I'm happy for her. No doubt we'll miss Rachel, but also, I've given my best wishes to Jess for the future. **_

_**I'm kicking back on a deserted island, the last leg of my roadtrip! Okay, so it's not an island. It's just the most glorious, deserted beach ever. With little simple cottages, I'm kicking back in the sun on the beach all day. I visited Cheynes Beach on the exact same day last year, and had just as much a relaxing getaway. Pure Bliss. **_


End file.
